DIY Heart-Shaped Woven Basket

Hello! Today we're making a heart-shaped woven basket. You will need:

• Scissors
• Sharpie
• Cardboard- I used a pizza box
• Wooden skewers
• Yarn 
• Glue gun 

First, print out a picture of a heart.

Trace around it with a sharpie to make a heart-shaped outline.

Cut it out.

After that, cut the skewers with your scissors to your desired length- I cut mine into thirds.

Then, glue the skewers onto the cardboard, evenly spacing them.

Take your yarn out, and tie a slip knot to the bottom-corner skewer.

Begin weaving the yarn through the skewers, going over-under.

Once you've weaved the yarn to the top cut it, leaving 2-3 inches to tie it off.

With a pencil or needle, stick the end of the yarn in the same skewer where you tied the slip knot. When it looks like this, tie a knot to secure the string in place.

If your skewers are uneven, cut them to the same height.

To make mine more decorative, I put beads of hot glue on the tips of the skewers and painted them.

I also painted the inside of the basket.

After that, you're done! This DIY was very easy to make. It takes a while,  but it's worth it! This makes great room decor, and might even make a nice gift basket. I hope you try this out sometime!

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Rock Candy

Hello! Today we're making DIY rock candy. You will need:

• 1 cup of water
• 2 cups of sugar
• Optional: food coloring
• Skewers or a piece of sturdy paper
• Champagne flute or jar tall enough for crystals to form
• Stockpot or saucepan

First, bring the water to a boil.

Then, add the sugar slowly, 1/4 cup at a time.

Keep on medium heat until the sugar is dissolved, remove the liquid off the heat, and let cool completely.

Dip your skewer into the liquid, then dip it into some sugar. Let dry completely.

After that, put the liquid into a glass or a champagne flute. Now is the time to add the food coloring if you want.

Then, use clothespins or a piece of cardstock to hold your skewer in place. Make sure the skewer doesn't touch the bottom or sides of the glass.

Let sit in the liquid for at least a week. Then break the surface layer with a butterknife and take it out. After that, you're done! This is how mine turned out:

This DIY was fun to make. I only left my skewer in the liquid for a week, so I recommend leaving it in for at least 2 weeks. Enjoy!

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Cream for Sore Muscles

Hello! Today we're making cream for sore muscles. You will need:

• 1/2 cup of coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons of ground cayenne pepper 
• 1 tablespoon of beeswax
• Cheesecloth or a coffee filter over a strainer

First, add all of the coconut oil and the cayenne pepper into a heat safe container.

 Then, put the heat safe container into a pot of water, making a double boiler. Put it on high heat until the water boils, then leave on low heat for 3-5 hours to let the pepper infuse into the oil.

 After the pepper is infused into the oil, strain the mixture into another heat safe container.

Then, put it back onto the heat on medium.

 When the water is boiling, add the beeswax and heat until melted.

When everything is combined, pour the liquid into a container.

After that, you're done! This is how mine turned out:

This DIY was fairly easy to make, but it was a very long process. To use, apply a small amount to the sore area and rub it in. I like how the ingredients are all natural, and the cream actually works. Try this one out!

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Hummus

Hello! Today we're making DIY hummus. You will need:

• 1 can or 15 ounces of garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup of tahini
• 1/2 garlic clove, minced
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

First, put the tahini and lemon juice into a food processor or blender until well combined.

Then, add your garbanzo beans, half at a time.

Puree the mixture until smooth, then add the garlic, olive oil, salt and cumin. Puree until well combined.

Once everything is well combined and the mixture is smooth, you're done! This is how mine turned out:

This recipe was super easy to make, and I like how it's customizable to your taste. Stored in an air-tight container, this hummus lasts for about a week. Enjoy!

Until next week,

-Vasti

DIY Protein Bars

Hello! Today we're making DIY protein bars. You will need:

• 1 cup of raw almonds
• 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 1/2 cups of rolled oats
• 1/2 cup of plant-based protein powder
• 1/3 cup of honey or maple syrup
• Cooking spray

First, measure out 1/4 cup of the almonds and chop them. Put them aside for the topping.

Put the rest of the almonds with the salt into a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.

Once smooth, add all the rest of the ingredients into your food processor or blender, and blend until combined.

Once combined, the mixture should look something like this:

Next, spray some cooking spray on a square pan.

With a spatula, spread the mixture out into an even layer.

Lastly, sprinkle on the remaining almonds, pressing them into the mixture.

Let it harden for 20 minutes, and you're done! This is how mine turned out:

This DIY was super easy, and tastes great. It makes a great snack when you need energy, and it's vegan too! Enjoy!

Until next week,

-Vasti